Pakistan dumps Younis Khan for Australia ODIs

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said both Younis and Umar Gul, a 28-year-old veteran of 111 one-day matches, have been rested.

Karachi, (AFP): Pakistan on Monday dropped seasoned batsman Younis Khan from a 16-man squad for a three one-day match series against Australia, starting in the United Arab Emirates later this month.

The matches will be played on August 28 in Sharjah, August 31 in Abu Dhabi and again in Sharjah on September 3. The teams will also play three Twenty20s, for which a team was announced last month.

Khan, 34, had been a lean form during a five-match away one-day series against Sri Lanka last month, scoring only 10 runs in four innings.

He has so far played 245 one-days for Pakistan, scoring 6,824 runs, but his last hundred came four years ago. Also out of the squad is ace paceman Umar Gul, who managed just four wickets in four matches against Sri Lanka.

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said both Younis and Gul, a 28-year-old veteran of 111 one-day matches, have been rested.

"If you look at the last series against Sri Lanka, both Younis and Gul were struggling with form so we have rested them for the two tough series ahead, the first against India in December and then against South Africa early next year," Qasim told AFP.

Qasim denied Younis's career was over. "By no means (is it) over, he can stage a comeback after rest," said Qasim.

Wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal, already recalled for the Twenty20 series against Australia, also bagged a place in the one-day team.

"We observed during the Sri Lanka series that our batting struggled, especially the lower order, so we included Kamran who gives solidity to the batting," said Qasim.

Opener Nasir Jamshed, withdrawn from the team for Sri Lanka due to a finger injury, will also make a return, as will all-rounder Anwar Ali.

Ali, 23, has played just one Twenty20 for Pakistan, in 2008. The three Twenty20s against Australia will be played on September 5, 7 and 10 -- all in Dubai.